Car sales statistics for the large car segment in the US, updated every quarter.

Segment continues its steady decline with only three models gaining sales in 2017Sales in the US large segment fell by 1.8% to 100,989 in the fourth quarter of 2017, the least bad performance of the segment in 2017. Overall, sales in the segment fell by 11.5% last year to 392,129, the first time the segment has dipped below the 400,000 mark since our data begins in 1985! This steady but relentless decline looks likely [Read more…]

Decline in the large segment slows as segment leaders enjoy a good Q3Sales in the large car segment in the US fell by 6% in the third quarter, to a total of 291,456 units so far this year. The segments performance in the third quarter was not as bad as in the first two quarters of the year, when sales fell by 18%, and in fact was the second-best (least bad?) performance from among the mainstream segments, just behind the 2% sales fall of the compact segment. However, the prospects for the segment are still grim, among rumors circulating that Ford may abandon the market altogether and not replace the Taurus. [Read more…]

Collapse of the Large segment continues, as fewer cars were sold in the first half of ’17 than in the first two months of ’06Sales in the Large car segment fell by 17.8% in the second quarter of the year, meaning YTD sales are still below 200,000 units – this is a huge tumbledown for a segment that used to sell more than that in two months a decade ago. With only two new model entering the market in 2017 (Buick LaCrosse and Kia Cadenza), no other new cars on the immediate horizon, and suggestions that Ford may abandon the market altogether and not replace the Taurus, the signs are that the segment will continue its tumble down the rankings. [Read more…]

The Large Car segment fell by almost as much as the Midsized segment in the first quarter of 2017: down 18.4% to 104,985 sales. The segment that has already completely disappeared in Europe about 10 years ago is in danger of extinction in the US too, as there are few plans for new models anytime soon (just the new generation of the slow-selling Azera), so the double digit declines are likely to continue through the rest of this year. There basically are two tiers in this segment: the still relatively fresh models (Impala, Maxima, LaCrosse, Cadenza) and the decade-old models that have seen their life cycles extended for yet another few years (Charger, 300, Taurus) or which will be axed soon (SS, Caprice). The one stuck in the middle is the Avalon at 5 years old. Of the 11 nameplates in this segment, 7 showed double digit declines, only three showed single digit declines and a single model improved (Chevy SS), and that’s probably because dealers are dumping off their last remaining stock before the model is killed off. [Read more…]

Sales in the Large segment fell by 6.4 percent in 2016, which puts it in the middle of the pack as far as mainstream segments are concerned – better than the Minicarand Mid-sizedsegments, but worse than the Subcompact, Compactand Minivan segments. With 443,317 sales, it remains the second smallest mainstream segment after the Minicar segment, though the Subcompact and Minivan segments remain within reach of around 100,000 units. However, with little new metal on the horizon it remains unlikely that sales in the segment will rise anytime soon, as models such as Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300 and Ford Taurus are nearing their “sell by” date with no replacements due anytime soon. [Read more…]

The drop in sales of large sedans in the US accelerated to -13% in Q3 of 2016, pulling the segment into the red year-to-date with a 3% loss. That means the large car segment is heading in the same direction as the mid-sized segment, but oppositely of the subcompact and compact segments, which are starting to recover from their losses earlier in the year. Only three out of the ten models in this segment increased their volume on last year and did so with double digit growth, while the other seven all showed double digit losses. The segment leader Chevrolet Impala drops to third place in Q3 and is under serious threat of losing its top spot by the end of the year as Chevrolet is cutting down on fleet sales and has ended production of the rental-only previous generation Impala “Limited” in May. [Read more…]

Sales in the Large segment fell by 9 percent in the second quarter of 2016, compared to Q2 2015, but sales in the segment are still up 2 percent over the first half year, making Large cars one of only two mainstream segments to have grown over the period. This impressive performance can really be attributed to the success of the new Nissan Maxima, as well as the increasing popularity of aging Chrysler 300. [Read more…]

Sales in the large segment rose by 14% compared to Q1 2015, a considerably better performance than over the course of 2015, when sales fell by 12% overall. This makes the segment one of only two mainstream segments that grew over the course of the last year, with sales growth behind only the minivan segment. What’s more, the growth is not based on the success of one or two new models, but rather sales growth among most models. 2016 promises some new metal in the form of the new Kia Cadenza and, eventually, a new Buick LaCrosse, though there is no indication that the quickly-aging FCA twins, Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger, will be replaced anytime soon. [Read more…]

Sales in the large segment fell by 12% compared to 2014, the worse performance of all mainstream segments, worse even than the 8% fall in sales registered by the subcompactand minivan segments. As a result, large cars fell further behind those two segments and is now the second smallest mainstream segment, ahead of only minicars, and selling only a fifth as well as the only slightly smaller mid-sizedcars. [Read more…]

The Large mainstream segment continued shrinking in Q3 2015, with sales down 11% compared to the same period in 2014. Although it was spared the ignominy of being the mainstream segment that shrank the most in Q3 by the subcompact segments -14% growth rate, customers are clearly abandoning Large cars for Mid-sized ones as the lines between the two become ever more blurred in terms of size and equipment. [Read more…]